1. Technical Field
This invention relates to an absorbent article and method for protecting a user by absorbing or containing body fluids including menstrual fluids or other body exudates. In one aspect, this invention relates to an absorbent article and method having side leakage protection and novel means and method for positioning and fastening the absorbent article to an undergarment.
2. Background of the Invention
Many different absorbent products for the absorption of human body fluids are available in the form of feminine pads, sanitary napkins, panty shields, panty liners, and incontinence devices. Feminine care sanitary protection absorbent products absorb body fluids, including menses, and come in different functional designs. Sanitary napkins and feminine pads externally worn about the pudendal area are absorbent pads designed primarily for menstrual flow. Panty liners or panty shields are thin sanitary napkin products worn about the pudendal area for light menstrual flow. Incontinence protection absorbent products absorb body fluids including urine.
Absorbent products for the absorption of human body fluids have an absorbent positioned between a liquid-permeable body-side cover and a liquid-impermeable garment-facing baffle. These absorbent products for the absorption of human body fluids include a top layer of the liquid-permeable body-side cover, a middle layer of the absorbent, and a bottom layer of the liquid-impermeable garment-facing baffle. A pressure sensitive adhesive is secured to the baffle and used to attach the product to an inner crotch portion of an undergarment.
In absorbent products for the absorption of human body fluids today, a problem of leakage still persists, in that body fluids leak out at the sides of the absorbent products. Such side leakage can stain the undergarment and even the outer garments of a wearer, and such side leakage is a serious concern of the absorbent product user.
Side flaps, tabs, wings, and other side constructions, which extend from the sides of a feminine care pad, are referred to as xe2x80x9cside flaps.xe2x80x9d Side flaps have been designed to fold onto opposite side flaps or wrap around the undergarment to provide protection from side leakage. While side flaps available today have some success in absorbing side leakage, such side flaps have certain drawbacks.
Side flaps available today are costly to manufacture as they require non-conforming shapes creating excessive trim waste.
Side flaps available today also are awkward to use. Such side flaps require careful placement within the crotch portion of the wearer""s undergarment, and even then are not comfortable to the wearer. Side flaps do not maintain their position when the protective adhesive peel strip is removed from the garment-facing side of the side flaps. Many times, the side flaps then become adhered to the garment side of the baffle, or they become inadvertently and undesirably adhered or sticking to another inappropriate surface. The user then must manipulate the side flap sticking to the baffle or other inappropriate surfaces, so as to guide and position the side flaps into proper positioning prior to use. The inadvertent sticking of the side flap to the baffle or other inappropriate surfaces many times makes the article unusable. Releasing the absorbent article product from the undergarment also can be difficult and inconvenient.
Another drawback of side flaps available today has been found when many times the wearer has only a light menstrual flow and does not need the side flaps. In these situations, many customers prefer not to use the side flaps during light menstrual flow because of their many drawbacks.
Absorbent products attached to an adjacent undergarment should be held stationary during use. Absorbent products, such as sanitary napkins, overnight pads, panty liners, incontinent garments, and even some underarm shields, are attached to an adjacent garment or undergarment for positioning and support. Pressure sensitive adhesives provide the means and method for affixing the absorbent product to an adjacent garment or undergarment. The pressure sensitive adhesive is applied to the garment-facing surface of the absorbent product and is covered temporarily by a releasable peel strip until the absorbent product is placed into use.
In pressure sensitive adhesive applied to the garment-facing surface of the absorbent product today, certain drawbacks have been found to persist. The cost of the adhesive and the releasable peel strip increase the overall cost of the absorbent product. Also, special equipment and extra steps are required during the manufacturing of adsorbent products to apply the pressure sensitive adhesive and then to center and apply the releasable peel strip over the adhesive. The adhesive also can be a nuisance when it sticks to the inner surface of an undergarment, and when it leaves a tacky residue after the absorbent product is removed. The tacky residue is uncomfortable to the wearer, and the build up of the tacky residue produces a stain and eventually may ruin the undergarment. Further drawbacks are found in that it is difficult to reposition the absorbent product in the undergarment, e.g., in the manner of repositioning side flaps, after the adhesive has been attached to an inappropriate surface of the undergarment or other inappropriate surface.
Accordingly, there is a need for an absorbent article and method which provide side leakage protection, which prevent staining of undergarments and outer garments, and which provide a lower cost to produce, with lower manufacturing costs and lower material production costs. An absorbent article and method also are needed which provide accurate positioning and convenient placement of the absorbent article onto the undergarment. An absorbent article and method also are needed which provide the user with a sense of comfort during use over a variety of situations, including in one aspect, when full absorbency is not needed, yet without sacrificing the full benefits of full leakage protection, convenience of positioning and application, and wearer comfort.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an absorbent article capable of absorbing and containing menstrual fluids and/or other body exudates.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an absorbent article and method for protecting the undergarment of a wearer from side leakage.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an absorbent article and method for guiding the absorbent article into proper placement onto the undergarment of a wearer.
Another object of this invention is to provide an absorbent article and method for holding the absorbent article in proper position on the undergarment of a wearer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary napkin or panty liner or panty shield having manufacturing cost advantages.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sanitary napkin or panty liner or panty shield having cost of material advantages.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary napkin or panty liner or panty shield which uses less material.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an absorbent article which is more convenient to use.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an absorbent article which is more comfortable to wear.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.
Briefly, the present invention provides an absorbent article and method incorporating, in one embodiment, stiffening means in arcuately shaped pleats on a bottom lateral side surface of a liquid-impermeable baffle, forming stiffened nesting ridges for protecting an undergarment from side leakage and for guiding the absorbent article into position for proper placement on the undergarment.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides an absorbent article and method incorporating cuff pad means on a bottom lateral side surface of the liquid-impermeable baffle forming cuffs for protecting an undergarment from side leakage and for guiding the absorbent article into position for proper placement on the undergarment.
An absorbent configured to fit the pudendal region of a woman and a liquid-impermeable baffle are provided with a pair of stiffened garment-attachment nesting ridges, in one embodiment, or cuffs, in one embodiment, for receiving an arcuately shaped crotch portion of an undergarment.
Arcuately shaped pleats on a bottom lateral side surface of the liquid-impermeable baffle form the nesting ridges. In one embodiment, a pressure sensitive adhesive in each nesting ridge provides force to support the nesting ridge holding the undergarment in place during use. In one aspect, the absorbent article provides two, three, or more garment-attachment nesting ridge pairs. In one aspect, the arcuately shaped pleats are formed by a polyethylene/polypropylene bi-component web material.
The article and method of the present invention include providing an absorbent designed to be attached to the crotch portion of an undergarment and having a body-side surface and an opposite garment-facing surface. A liquid-impermeable baffle is positioned adjacent to at least a portion of the garment-facing surface of the absorbent, and a liquid-permeable cover is positioned adjacent to at least a portion of the body-side surface of the absorbent. The cover and baffle cooperate to enclose the absorbent and form a pad having a pair of longitudinally oriented side edges and a pair of distally spaced ends. A garment-adhesive strip is secured to the garment-facing surface of the pad and is positioned along the longitudinal axis of the pad. A pair of nesting ridges are positioned along the longitudinal axis of the pad and are configured to provide positioning guidance and support to the wearer for placing and holding the absorbent onto the undergarment. The nesting ridges are configured to prevent staining of the crotch portion of the undergarment or outer garments. In one aspect, multiple pairs of nesting ridges are provided to accommodate varying crotch widths of the undergarment.
In one embodiment, a stiffening member of the nesting ridges is provided as part of the absorbent of the pad.
In one aspect, the absorbent article of the present invention includes an absorbent having a first sheet surface and an opposite second sheet surface, the first sheet surface having a length and a width configured to fit the pudendal region of a woman. A liquid-permeable cover is secured to the first sheet surface. A liquid-impermeable baffle is secured to the second sheet surface, the baffle having a length and a width covering the second sheet surface. A means for garment attachment includes a garment-attachment adhesive for securing the liquid-impermeable baffle to an inside surface of a crotch of an undergarment and a releasable peel strip covering the garment-attachment adhesive. Nesting ridges on the underside of the absorbent article are formed of pleats positioned to guide the absorbent article into proper placement on a wearer""s undergarment and hold the absorbent article in proper placement on a wearer""s undergarment during use.
A method of positioning and holding an absorbent article includes the steps of providing an absorbent article having a liquid-permeable cover sheet, an absorbent, and a garment-attachment adhesive, the adsorbent having a length and a width configured to fit the pudendal region of a woman; and positioning the absorbent article onto an undergarment by placing the edges of the undergarment into a pair of nesting ridges formed on the underside of the absorbent article. The nesting ridges are formed from pleats in the underside of the absorbent article.